He prayed much…..

 

“Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter

of Bethuel the Aramean of Padan-aram, the sister of Laban the

Aramean. “

Genesis 25:20

 

What happens when you don’t have all the answers to the

problems in your life?

There will be times we will come up against impossible odds,

situations we will be completely powerless against.

Isaac was blessed with an incredible woman by God but she

was barren! God led Abraham’s servant to her family. There

is an entire chapter (Genesis 24) dedicated to the servant

finding Isaac’s wife! There can be no argument she was the one

but she was barren……

The only explanation I could think of for that was, God had a plan.

He wasn’t caught off guard by Rebekah’s barreness.

Let’s read the next verse;

 

“And Isaac prayed much to the Lord for his wife because she was

unable to bear children;

and the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife

became pregnant.”

Genesis 25:21

 

At face value the impossible situation in Isaac’s life was

resolved so easily. Isaac prayed, God heared and answered

his prayer. Lesson learned!

But it goes much deeper than that. Let’s take a look.

 

“Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand grasped Esau’s

heel; so he was named Jacob [supplanter]. Isaac was sixty years

old when she gave birth to them. “

Genesis 25:26

 

Jacob got married at forty right. According to their culture I

don’t think it took long for them to try to have a baby.

Let’s give it maybe a year.

If that is the case, Isaac prayed for nineteen years give

or take for a baby!

Isaac prayed much, the word tells us and he got his answer.

What is it like praying for something that long?

Who knows the things Isaac and Rebekah faced as they

trusted God for their baby?

Just know this, it took about nineteen years for Isaac to

get an answer to his prayer. He never gave up on God.

He never lost hope, instead he prayed much!

I am encouraged as I read their story because there are

things I have been praying for for a long time.

 

So let’s go back to that impossible sitution I was talking about

in the beginning of the post.

It’s not a mistake you are going through what you are going

through just like it was not a mistake when Isaac married

Rebekah even though she was barren.

God was very much in the know about that and He had a plan.

All I would say to you today is, don’t give up. God has a plan.

Isaac didn’t complain or murmur about his problem, he

prayed much!

Are you praying “much” in your impossible situation?

That could be the answer.

 

Be encouraged, be hopeful, because God sees what you are

facing. He has the answer and He will not let you down!

Pray much…..

 

Rolain

 

photo credit: google images

 

 

A simple message…..

“Then to the centurion Jesus said, Go; it shall be done

for you as you have believed. And the servant boy was

restored to health at that very moment.”

Matthew 8:13 (AMP)

 

“Jesus turned around and, seeing her, He said, Take

courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well. And at

once the woman was restored to health.”

Matthew 9:22 (AMP)

 

“Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your

faith and trust and reliance [on the power invested in

Me] be it done to you.”

Matthew 9:29 (AMP)

 

Your faith in God counts! The people I mentioned in the

scriptures above all received their breakthrough because

of their faith in God! Let me say that again:

 

All the people I mentioned in the scriptures above got

their breakthrough because of their faith in God!

 

I was challenged when I got this revelation.

The blind men, the woman with the issue of blood, the

centurion who had a sick servant, and many many more

got the attention of Jesus because of their faith.

 

Are there things I am trusting God for?? Yes, yes, yes!!!

As 2016 comes I am challenged to be more resolved in my

faith!

 

Have faith in God!

 

Have faith in God because He is faithful. We are here at the

end of the year because He brought us through!

Man didn’t bring us through. God did!

 

Let us look at the woman with the issue of blood. Her

situation was bad. She had used up all her money on

physicians but her health didn’t get better. Instead it

got worse. She suffered for twelve years! I don’t know

about you friends but twelve years is a long time. There was

no relief for her in man. He didn’t have an answer to her

problem. (He very seldom does)

But anyway one thing led to another and she got healed

by Jesus! She had faith that He would heal her. When she

touched the Master’s cloak her faith was absolute (I WILL

be healed).  It was her faith in Him that healed her from

twelve years of pain!

It was her faith in the Savior that rescued her from the

hold of the enemy!

 

“Then He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.

Go in peace.” Luke 8:48

 

The woman got to a point in her faith where she believed

Jesus could heal her. Are you at that point?

Are you at a point in your faith where you believe Jesus

is the answer, the only answer??

 

The message today is simple: Have faith in God!

There is so much God has in store for us but we must

trust Him!

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

How to make your life count……

 

Do you want to stand out? Then step down.

Be a servant. If you pull yourself up, you’ll

get the wind knocked out of you.

But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life

will count for plenty.

Matthew 23:11-12 (MSG)

 

I really love this. To stand out in the world, we do crazy

things to get people’s attention. The world teaches us to

push whoever is in our way, we are taught that the other

person doesn’t matter, we are taught to tear down anyone

who is better than us, steal, cheat and a whole host of other

things must be implemented if we are to stand out but that

is just not true!

 

To stand out we must be willing to step down and …….

BE A SERVANT!!

 

Standing out is about putting others first. It is about sacrificing

what you want to help someone else. It is about serving others.

God will make a way for you when you truly stand out!

Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and yet He came to

serve. He didn’t force people to worship Him but instead He came

to serve. He didn’t seek the limelight. Standing out requires

humbleness. There is no way you can truly stand out if you

are proud.

 

The true heart of a believer always wants to serve.

The limelight is not the most important thing in his or her life.

Pleasing God is the most important thing.

Will you truly stand out for God today?

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

Challenged by a soldier.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

 

Then Jesus turned to the captain and said,

“Go. What you believed could happen has happened.”

At that moment his servant became well.

Matthew 8:13 (MSG)

 

I read this scripture last night and thought to myself,

Is faith really that simple? Have I made it out to be

complicated, and mysterious?

I was challenged by the Roman centurion’s faith. It was

bold, unwavering…..sure!

 

Jesus offered to go to his house but the centurion refused!!

If I was in his shoes my answer would be a big yes!

“Off course You can come to my house Jesus……”

But not the centurion! He had so much faith in Jesus that

he knew just a word from the Savior would heal his

servant!!! Can you imagine that? That was bold!

 

 

“What you believed could happen has happened. At that

moment his servant became well.”

 

As I meditated on that verse I looked at my own life.

What am I believing for in my life?

What do I believe can happen in my life?

You may have the same questions and let me tell you,

these are important questions.

 

The Roman centurion believed Jesus would heal his servant

and he received what he believed.

 

In my believing, in your believing, are you confident Jesus

will come through for you?

 

Do I believe I will get what I am believing for, do you?

 

Like I said, these are important questions and they must be

answered.

There are things I am trusting God for and after reading this

scripture I am challenged to hold on to what I believing for

no matter how “impossible” they seem.

God will not let me down. When I put my faith on the line

He will respond, it may take time at times, or He may respond in a

way I am not expecting which is almost always the case but

the fact is this, He will respond when I believe in Him, when

I trust in Him completely and He will most definitely respond

to you.

 

He is control friends. Don’t be afraid to believe in Him.

He responds when we put our trust in Him and that is a

fact! All glory to Him!

 

Rolain

 

Naked and barefoot…

THOUGHT OF THE DAY.

In the year the field commander, sent by king Sargon of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought and took it, God told Isaiah Son of Amoz,’Go, take off your clothes and sandals, and Isaiah did it. going about naked and barefoot. 

Then God said, Just as my servant Isaiah has walked around town naked and barefooted for three years as a warning sign to Egypt and Ethiopia..Isaiah 20:1-3

This is one of the craziest stories I have read for sure!

Firstly, Isaiah is told to take off his clothes and sandals. We don’t read of any explanation being given by God. He simply tells Isaiah to take off his clothes.

The second craziest thing about this story is, Isaiah just obeys!!!! He never complained, dragged his feet, murmur, or sulk, he just obeyed! How amazing is that??

The third craziest thing about this story is Isaiah was naked for THREE YEARS!!!! Not three hours. But THREE YEARS……How crazy is that? Isaiah didn’t care what people would say. Was he uncomfortable?? I would like to think so, but what God wanted was Isaiah’s highest priority. Everything else came second to that….wow!

What an example of obedience we have. I was so challenged as I read this story. Am I obedient as Isaiah? Does my personal comfort affect my obedience to God? Will I obey God even if I don’t like it or if it feels uncomfortable? Will I be obedient to Him even if it means being ridiculed by people?

How obedient are you to God???

Rolain

 

The Secret to Real Leadership.

There is so much teaching on leadership. There are so many different views on leadership that it makes it hard to decide which is the most effective. Can we say there is one style which stands head and shoulders above the rest? Or can we draw the conclusion that they are all the same?
As a christian we have a model to follow. That model is found in John 13:1-17.
This model was created by the greatest person who ever lived and who still lives! His name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus taught us how we are to be servant leaders. Please understand that Jesus is the Son of God. So coming down to earth in the form of a man was already humbling. But He went even further. The King of Kings then gets a SERVANTS towel and washes His disciples feet!!!
Look at it anyway but that was degrading. It was unheard of. A master would never wash his servants feet!! But Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah washed the disciples feet!!
Peter is the one who speaks up and tries to stop this “madness”. It doesn’t add up in his mind. He tells Jesus, “You will never wash my feet”.
In Peter’s mind, he can’t comprehend how Jesus who is the Son of God can wash his feet. But in the end Jesus washs his feet.

I would like you to take a moment to think about that. Jesus Christ washed His disciples feet. He knew who He was but He still humbled Himself even further by washing their feet.
Are you a servant leader? Do you expect things to be done for you or do you take the lead by doing. As a leader are there certain people you speak to?
Jesus said we are to lead by serving. He changed the world and still does because of how He led. We need to learn how to humble ourselves. As leaders we are called to serve and not to be served. A lot of people aspire to be leaders because they want to be served. They want to be respected. They want to advance their ideals and so on. But leadership is not the place to do that. Leadership is a place where you die to self. Leadership is hard. It should not be taken lightly.
Leadership is a lonely road. When Jesus was in His most important challenge His friends abandoned Him. He was all alone. Leadership requires you to die continually to self. There is a certain amount of responsibility you need to have when you are a leader.
Are you a servant leader? In other words, are you ready to serve?
That is real leadership.